CHARLOTTE (N.C.) – Rory McIlroy, who shot five under par on the second nine of Augusta National the day before the Masters, said he had never been more prepared to complete his career Grand Slam and win the Masters.
McIlroy, who is an investor in Puttery – a modern indoor mini-golf course – said: “I honestly believed I was going have the best Masters ever.”
McIlroy has missed the 36 hole cut, but as golf fans are all too aware of, the search for the Green Jacket continues.
McIlroy admitted that the experience was a disaster. “I shouldn’t be worrying about whether I will have a good or bad week. I should be focused on the first tee-shot of Thursday. It’s not the right attitude to go into Augusta with. It’s important to stay in the moment. I felt like I did not do a great job at Augusta because of my playing. I was almost overconfident, but perhaps got ahead of myself.”
McIlroy was coy when asked why he missed the RBC Heritage. This was his second designated event. The players are only allowed to miss one event, and McIlroy chose the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the start of the season. The second missed game could result in a fine of up to $3 million. Commissioner Jay Monahan has already stated that he can make these decisions.
I knew what the consequences would be if I missed one. It was a simple decision. McIlroy stated that it was worth it to me in order to put other things into place. “I have my reasons for not playing Hilton Head, and I’ve told Jay about them. I don’t know if he feels that is enough. I knew the implications of my decision. “Whatever happens happens.”
McIlroy didn’t imagine a scenario in which he would miss another event. “My mind would not have been there.” He said that he chose to avoid Harbour Town because it was more important to him to be at home. “I’d have done myself and the people around me an injustice if I’d gone to play,” he said.
McIlroy took his extended break of three weeks to reset and reassess his Augusta disappointment. He claimed he hadn’t touched a club in two weeks. One of these weeks he spent in Manhattan with his wife Erica, celebrating their anniversary. McIlroy said he wanted to escape the game mentally.
I feel like it has consumed my entire life over the past 12 months. He said that there are other aspects of his life which were equally important.
McIlroy was adamant about his stance when there was initial player pushback at the Tour Championship after the announcement in August. McIlroy told Andy Pazder, PGA Tour chief competitions and tournaments officer in a Netflix documentary called “Full Swing,” that if he would do it then they should as well. “I tell these guys that no other athlete in the world gets to decide when and where to play. We’ve just all gotten a bit soft.”
McIlroy quickly pointed out on Tuesday that his burnout had nothing to do with golf. It has taken a toll on him. His role as a PGA Tour director and unofficial Tour spokesman in the LIV Golf civil war, as well as his involvement as PGA Tour board member took its toll. He won the FedEx Cup and returned to World No.1 in August. He was No. 1 for several months, starting in October. But all these demands caught up with him, even though he claimed he could still attend a 7-hour board and win the Arnold Palmer Invitational just a few weeks later.
He explained that he was “gassed” by everything we had to deal in the golfing world in the last 12 months. Being in the middle and in the decision-making process, he said.
“I thought I was able to see the golf’s place in my life, and that it had some sort of purpose. Over the past 12 months, I’ve lost track of this. I forgot that there is more to life than golf and the silly bickering between tours. I’m not sure, but I believe I gained some perspective. After I disconnected, I was able to see the world a bit more clearly and how everything fit into my life. It was a great reset.”
McIlroy, a refreshed McIlroy, picked up his clubs on Monday and was excited to get back to work at Quail hollow where he has won three times. McIlroy said, “There are three majors left, and the whole golf season is still ahead.”
